This book was really about Dale Berra, his life growing up with his brothers, getting into the big leagues his drug addiction, and then some about his father. What I really took out of this book was about his mother Carmen, how she and Yogi met and got together though I have read that before it was good to read it again. Also, about a wife and mother keeping the family together and wanting the best for her boys. She really wanted to help Dale by doing an intervention when he was arrested for drugs and it just goes to show you that the drugs do not just affect the person taking them but everyone around them as well.
I knew most of the things that he wrote about. I remember when he played for the Pirates and the Yankees. I also remember when he was arrested for drugs. It was good to hear about the friendships he made along the way from the time his father was a manger from different teams. I guess I was just hoping for something more.

My Dad, Yogi, was written by Yogi's son, who was also a baseball player.  He fell victim to drugs in the 80s, but his Dad saved him.  This book is an inside look to his life and death, that only a son could write.  Did you know that the cartoon Yogi Bear was named after Yogi Berra?  Did he really say all of those Yogi-isms that are attributed to him?  Yogi enlisted after Pearl Harbor and the best clothes he had were his GI fatigues and boots.  This book is written by his son Dale, but there are also inserts from his brothers Larry and Timmy.  Dale also recounts his time in the big leagues and what it was like for him with his father coaching.  Very interesting book and a lot of insight that you can only get from family.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

This is a great honor to THE Yogi Berra from his youngest son Dale for all baseball fans but it’s also a great homemage to family and friends. It digs deep into what celebrity life and expectations are like for the “star” but also for the children. How the children were encouraged to all play sports and go pro. How pressures were handled and how family and friends were deemed most importantly. I wish players could read this today and realize what’s important, family not the money!

My Dad, Yogi was written by Dale Berra, Yogi's son. It was written as a love letter to his father, who was by all accounts one of the greatest and iconic baseball players to live and play the sport of baseball. It also is one of the most poorly written books I have read. While the story is heartfelt and does portray Yogi, as well as the entire family's history, it is in serious need of major editing. I enjoyed the stories, but it was exceedingly repetitive and in spots, run on.

If this book were edited correctly, I feel it would have an audience. Otherwise, it's destined to be read only by true baseball and Yogi Berra fans and in the bargain bin at Ollie's. I usually am not so harsh with reviews, but I must warn the reader with this one.

Thanks to #NetGallely for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

My Dad. Yogi is written by Yogi's youngest son, Dale Berra. Dale and his brothers, Larry and Tim talk about what it was like growing up with Yogi as a father. The book focuses on his childhood,family, his time in the military, his playing days, his time as a manager and a coach. Though Dale talks about his father's career as a Baseball player (which is of course how everyone know him) he also talk about Yogi as a father. You can see how much love and respect his sons all have for him. Dale and his brothers mention growing up that the never viewed their dad as a the baseball legend. When Yogi was home it was all about family and baseball was left "at work". Because of that the boys never used the Berra name as an in when it came to their professional careers. Through out the book Dale also tells a lot about his time in majors. He also mentions his struggle with cocaine and his dad supported him all along. And how it came down his father telling him to get his life together or he was no longer part of the family because he couldn't have both.

I loved reading all the different stories about Yogi. My only complaint is how much for Dale's story took over the book. With that being said it's still a great read and a very touching tribute to a great father and great baseball player. It definitely had me getting teary eyed at the end. I definitely recommended it for any baseball fan!



*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for my honest review*

Even if you are not a baseball fan, Yogi Berra’s colorful expressions of twisted logic probably have a place in your memory. His “déjà vu all over again,” which brought laughter when he originated it, has become stale from the many repetitions. A couple I enjoyed were “Slump? I ain’t in no slump. I just ain’t hitting,” and “If the world was perfect, it wouldn’t be.” Any number of sources will take you to his life as a ball player and manager and those Yogi-isms. His son Dale Berra in My Dad, Yogi, with contributions from his brothers and daughter, takes you behind the scenes to see the patriarch of the Berra family.

My interest in the book offered by Net Galley in an advance reading copy came from years of listening to the radio as my father followed his favorite team, the New York Yankees. I never figured out how this Mississippi country preacher formed this loyalty, but he was a Yogi fan and loved his picturesque expressions. Dale does not skip over these or the baseball in his father’s life and his own, but he goes beyond to see Yogi the man and particularly the father.

An unassuming family life with his strong beloved wife Carmen and their three sons in New Jersey had a normalcy to it in the off seasons with the sons following their father into baseball as they matured. Names like Joe Garagiola, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Whitey Ford were friends rather than celebrities to the family. Dale’s drug problems in the midst of a promising career threw a curve ball into the mix with Yogi providing support with a tough love intervention that helped him turn his life around.

My favorite new Yogism came as Yogi attended more than a few funerals, “You should always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” I’m thinking the fact that his funeral was well attended had more to do with the lovable man than to his attendance at other burials.

The book is a good read for baseball fans (or their daughters) but also for those who are interested in the family dynamics of people who live celebrity lives or those who need to help a child entrapped in addiction. Speedreading through the baseball accounts is an option for those who are not fans.

Whether or not one is a baseball fan, it is likely that person knows who Yogi Berra is. Many remember him as a Hall of Fame baseball player for the New York Yankees who also managed both the Yankees and New York Mets to the World Series. Maybe the person knows Yogi from his famous quotes that are humorous and still repeated by many now, more than three years after his death. Whatever the reason, people still love the man. One of his three sons, Dale, also became a major league player and has written a memoir about the entire Berra family that will tug at heartstrings and also show a side of Yogi that many people may not know.

Dale writes about his father during his childhood years as a man who, while he didn’t say it often, would know that his children are loved by him. Dale and his brothers Tim and Larry were all fine athletes but only Dale made it to the big leagues. If there is a downfall to this book, it is that Dale will write long passages about himself instead of Yogi, Carmen and his brothers, especially about his battle with drug addiction. That will be a disappointment to readers like myself who wanted to read only about the entire family.

However, what he DOES write about his parents is excellent. The story of how his father met Carmen, who would become Yogi’s wife (Yogi felt he married up by wedding Carmen) was beautiful as well as the exchange between Yogi and Dale that the latter said was what would get him through another day:

“You all right, Kid?”
“Yeah, Dad, I’m all right”
“That’s all I want to hear, Kid.”

While this was the best of the stories, there are plenty of other fine stories about Yogi and the family as well. The day that Yogi decided to end his self-exile from Yankee Stadium 15 years after being fired as Yankee manager is one. The intervention called by Carmen after Dale was arrested for drug possession and usage years after they thought he was over his addiction was eye-opening. Even in Dale’s younger days when he would be excited to be in the same clubhouse as star players on the Mets that his dad was managing such as Tom Seaver and Willie Mays, the stories would be fun to read.

This book does give a reader insight into the Berra family that other books don’t and when that insight comes from a family member, it gives it even more credibility. Despite the long passages about Dale himself, this book nonetheless is a worthwhile addition the library of anyone who is a fan of Yogi Berra.

I wish to thank Hackett Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

I. loved this book and raced through it. It tells us about a side of Yogi we always knew was there but didn't get much publicity -- his life as a husband and father. I loved this portrait of Yogi. I also loved that Dale was so honest about the drug problem that cost him his career in baseball.

The book is really a family affair. Although Dale wrote the bulk of it, his older brothers chimed in often with their own reflections.

What a delightful book!

Ths book was not quite what I expected so it was a bit disappointing. While there is some baseball involved, it is more about the events in the author's life highlighting the highs and lows. One thing that was interesting was the author adding comments from his siblings in the chapters so it was not just his view of events.

I am neutral on a recommendation of this book. It will be disappointing for hardcore baseball fans, but may hold some appeal for the more casual or nonfan of the game.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.

Excerpt from Review: "...My Dad, Yogi is definitely an interesting read, though not the huge baseball biography I was hoping to read for opening day. That being said, I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in Yogi, the family man, and in Dale and his fall from the baseball spotlight."

Being the only woman in my house and marrying into a HUGE Yankee family, this book was right up our alley. I actually gave this one to my husband to read. and then my father in law. While I dont think either have Yogi Berra as one of their favorite players of all time, they thoroughly enjoyed the background and history that came along with this book. It was interesting to see Yogi's life, career, success and fallbacks, through the eyes of his son.
I really think this would make for a great Father's Day gift this year. While certainly, it would be great for the Yankee fans out there, I do feel that just about any baseball fan would enjoy this book...even a Red Sox fan!!! :)

Excellent memoir by the son of one of the great characters in American history. The one and only Yogi Berra!

This is a book written with heart. It was an interesting story for many reason. Of course Yogi Berra was an interesting person on and of the ball field, but hearing about this man through his son makes this an enthralling book too. The reader learns more about his son, the author, through this book as well which is also interesting. The stories shared are special and he does add special details throughout. Did you know his son played baseball too? You'll learn about this in this book too, which is interesting making this book have a variety of reason to read it. There is more to Yogi Berra than baseball and all his awesome sayings -- you'll learn that in this book.

I enjoyed this book and learning about the family and his son's I think I expected a little more Yogi. While I did enjoy it, it did fall a little short on my expectations, I was glad I stuck with it, as the ending was phenomenal and beautiful,

A little about Yogi, a lot about Dale. Strong start, lost me in the middle, but a beautiful ending. Automatic bonus star for making me cry.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start off by saying that I felt it was the perfect book to read in October with the MLB playoffs going on. I'm an avid baseball/Milwaukee Brewers fan so it made the book a little more fun to read.

Is this the best written book? No. It is a "celebrity" memoir. It is not meant to be deep like War and Peace. Is it entertaining? Yes.

Growing up I remember Yogi Berra from some of his coaching days. I didn't know that his son, Dale, played as well. I thought the book provided an interesting glimpse into Yogi and Dale's lives. Dale's struggles with drugs was interesting as I kinda remember that scandal back in the day.

I think the stories about Yogi and his playing days were fascinating. It is always neat to read about sports figures who have such interesting lives and yet remain humble. You don;t see that often in today's sports world.

While I knew how the book would end (Yogi dies), it was still sad to hear how he declined in his later years and brought tears to my eyes.

I would totally recommend this for the baseball fan.

My Dad, Yogi is a great book. It doesn't matter whether you are a fan of baseball, sports in general, or you just want to read a charming love story by a boy about his dad, My. Dad, Yogi has got you covered. I treasured the time I spent reading this book and was sad to have finished it.

As someone who grew up with the Big Red Machine, I really did not know anything about Yogi Berra besides his "isms" and had never heard of Dale Berra.

Throughout the book, Dale's love for his father shown through. Yes, it is a baseball book. But it is more than that - family love, competition, addiction. I enjoyed the reflections/retrospects from Dale's two brothers, Larry and Tim. All three sons bring the legend to life and gave the personal side of Yogi meaning. He was able to set examples for his family, teams, and the industry, much needed in today's environment.

Some hardcore baseball fans may want more about the Yankees and Yogi with additional "dirt." Others will want more focus on Dale, his and daughter's addictions and how that impacted the family. Others, like me, will want a balance and perspective that a son can do.

This book is good for the person who not only enjoys baseball but wants to learn about someone who is bigger than life and realize he was a father who was a good man and set an example who happened to excel in baseball and his son growing up in that environment.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Who is Dale Berra? If you're not familiar with baseball, he's Yogi Berra's son. If you're a baseball fan, he's Yogi Berra's son. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Dale is more than that though. He's a husband, father, son, brother and former ball player. He was raised in Montclair, New Jersey by his parents Yogi and Carmen. They had three boys; Larry, Tim and Dale. They were all gifted with athleticism and a competitive nature. Dale is the youngest, but his life wasn't one on Easy Street. Sure, he and his brothers were maybe given more than other kids their age but they weren't spoiled. Yogi wouldn't have allowed that. He wanted them to earn everything that came to them. It was a lesson that they learned well. This is the story of learning that lesson and many others.

Yogi was born Lorenzo Pietro Berra, (later anglicized to Lawrence Peter) in St. Louis to parents Pietro and Paolina. They believed in hard work, honesty, and respect. They taught those lessons and Yogi absorbed them and would later teach them in his Yogi way to his own family. He served in the Navy and was a part of D-Day as a Gunner's Mate. He was even wounded and awarded a medal but he never bragged about those things. He never bragged about anything. It just wasn't part of his personality.

More famously though, he was a Yankee. The Yankee some would say. He played and coached throughout his career. He won championships and coached players as they were coming up.

Dale tells his father's story while telling his own. He is listed as the sole author but typical of older brother's, Larry and Tim chime in occasionally. They add a bit of color to a book that is, in the beginning, a bit dry due to an abundance of game stats and not enough of himself. Later, his daughter contributes to and enriches the story with her view of things.

Eventually, he begins to include stories of his upbringing, We find that Yogi parented in a strict but very hands-off way. He didn't show his affection in the traditional ways but his sons always knew they were loved. He wanted them to learn by doing, and earn the legacy that is his name. He never handed them anything he didn't feel they earned.

Dale wasn't a perfect man. He had his shortcomings and he's honest about them, recounting his drug addiction and the legal troubles that followed. He takes the blame for his failed marriage and his daughter's troubled childhood. He covers his drug use in a superficial way but that was the way he dealt with it in real life too, even after facing court proceedings. He didn't feel like he was out of control - until his family held an intervention. It was shocking and enough of a kick in the pants to set him on the right path.

He tells many stories that include the feud between George Steinbrenner and Yogi and how it was ultimately resolved. He tells about the creation of Yogi's museum. He gives us interesting tidbits ie. a ferry named after Yogi was the first boat to save passengers when Sully Sullenberger landed the plane in the Hudson. He also name drops throughout but not in a gossipy way. He merely mentions people dropping by or being invited to things like they were commonplace because they were. This isn't the story of DiMaggio or Mantle but they're included. So many other famous names are too but it would take an hour to list them all. You don't read this book for those names though so I'll skip it.

Can I recommend this book? Yes, very easily.